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Dear Parents and Caregivers of Good Samaritan,
This evening we have our Open School Twilight where we will welcome prospective students and their families into our school community. This enrolment period seems to come around so quickly within the year as we commit ourselves to offering primary education to others at Good Samaritan.
Over the last two days, Mrs Hailstone and I attended a Diocesan Colloquium based on school improvement. Last week the Diocese launched Lighting the Way 2023+ which is the ongoing Strategic Plan of the Diocese. This plan takes into account the continued commitment of the schools of the Diocese to provide vibrant places where students can grow in faith and learning.
This reinforces the commitment that we have always held at Good Samaritan to continually reflect, review and evaluate our work so that we continue to improve as a school. A major element of our improvement journey is to review our Vision and Mission. This has included the examination of what is known as St Benedict’s Rule. It is our intent to improve the Catholic life of our school with the Benedictine values.
Why would we look to St Benedict?
Good Samaritan was formed ten years ago with the amalgamation of two schools, St Francis Xavier and St John Vianney. Both of these schools were imagined and built by the Sisters of the Good Samaritan.
The Sisters of the Good Samaritan follow the Benedictine tradition. Their spirituality is inspired by the Parable of the Good Samaritan and the wisdom of the Rule of St Benedict. Through John Bede Polding’s vision, and the faithful commitment of the Sisters, it has flourished in communities in urban, rural and remote areas of Australia and across the Asia Pacific region since 1857.
St Mary’s Star of the Sea College is also a school formed by the Sisters of the Good Samaritan and also follows the Benedictine tradition. Recently, Good Samaritan Primary School was invited to attend the 150th Year celebrations of the College. Ruby attended along with myself and we were witness to a beautiful mass in celebration of, not only the anniversary, but all that the Benedictine tradition has offered girls of Wollongong and surrounding regions for many years.
As the year progresses we will be sharing more about St Benedict and the values that he wrote about so many years ago that still resonate with modern life helping us to make sense of who we are in the world.
Until Next Time, as we journey together with Jesus,
Toni Sillis
Pupil Free Days
Mark your calendars for this year’s Pupil Free Days. Students do not attend school on the following dates.
Thursday 6 April: Staff Spirituality Day
Monday 24 April: Staff Professional Learning Day
Monday 17 July: Staff Professional Learning Day
The 2023 school year will conclude for students on Friday 15 December.
Long Service Leave
Tomorrow I begin my long service leave through to 10 May. My daughter will be married on 17 March and then I will be travelling with my husband to London where he will participate in the London Marathon. During this time Mrs Cath Hailstone will take on the role of Acting Principal and Mrs Natalie Shelley will take on the role of Acting Assistant Principal. Following a recruitment process and confirming with Catholic Education HR, I am pleased to advise that Mr Serge Ambrosi will take up the role of Acting Religious Education Coordinator during my absence.
I am most grateful that Cath, Natalie and Serge have taken these roles on. Our school is in very good hands.
Naplan
Over the coming weeks students in Years 3 and 5 will be taking part in NAPLAN. Both Year 3 and Year 5 students will need headphones to complete these tests.
Students have been preparing for these assesments calmly and with confidence. While NAPLAN is important, it is just one test on one day and only one way we measure student achievement and growth.
Parents Engagement in Learning
I encourage you to talk to your child/ren about their learning goals. What do they see as their strengths and what are the areas they need to work on?
Having these conversations with your child/ren shows you are interested in their learning and builds up their confidence and engagement in school.
Thank you for your commitment to the ‘Meet and Greet’ meetings and phonecalls with your child/ren’s teacher and for those who completed the google form to provide further information to support your child/ren in their learning and wellbeing.
Second Week of Lent
(Week beginning Monday 6th March)
This week through Project Compassion we learn about Tereesa, a Gamilaroi woman from Western Sydney who struggled with homelessness while raising her four children. At just 16 years old, she had to leave school after falling pregnant with her first child. A single mother struggling with homelessness, Tereesa’s only concern was finding stability for her children.
Seeking a better future for her family, Tereesa joined Baabayn Aboriginal Corporation’s Young Mums and Bubs Group, supported by Caritas Australia. Baabayn helped Tereesa access housing and psychological support. Through Baabayn, Tereesa was also able to hear stories from Indigenous Elders and reconnect with her culture.
Today, Tereesa is studying a certificate in Community Services so that she can strengthen her skills and give back to her community. Tereesa now works at Baabayn, providing support to young mothers and mentoring the next generation of young people.
Watch a short film about Tereesa’s story here.
Please support Project Compassion: www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion
Harmony Day March 21
Harmony Day is a day to celebrate Australian multiculturalism, based on the successful integration of migrants into our community. Harmony Day is about inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural or linguistic background, united by a set of core Australian values. Held every year on 21 March. The Day coincides with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Since 1999, more than 70,000 Harmony Day events have been held in childcare centres, schools, community groups, churches, businesses and federal, state and local government agencies across Australia.
Please join our liturgy in the school hall at 9.15am if your busy schedule permits.
All children are invited to wear Orange to school.
Harmony Day Poster Competition
A competition has been offered to all students. Should you wish for your child to show their creative side, visit:
https://movingforwardtogether.org.au/poster-competition/
Entries close on 16 April 2023.
Year 6 Confirmation Candidiates
Please pray for our year 6 students who are preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation.
May the Father always watch over you,
May the Son ever bless you,
May the Spirit ever guide you.
St Patricks Day
St Patricks day is Friday 17 March. Children are to wear something green.
Our Parish
PARISH CONTACT DETAILS:
General enquires
Lumen Christi Catholic Parish, Wollongong
Diocese of Wollonong - PO Box 874 Wollongong - 36 Harbour St Wollongong NSW 2500
Phone - 02 42211 0500
Email - wollongong@dow.org.au
Office Hours : Monday to Friday (9:00am - 1:00 pm)
Update from 6 Gold
Year 6 so far has been very busy and fun. It has been busy because we are now in our leadership roles and asked to do lots of jobs for the school. We now have Kindergarten buddies and we are expected to show respect and to be good role models. Recently, we received our badges and are now officially leaders of Good Samaritan.
We are anxiously awaiting to receive our school sports shirts,so that we can show that we are in Year 6 and are school leaders.
The teachers have been giving us lots of homework to prepare for high school. It has been a challenge for us but we have been doing well. We have had multiple high schools come to our school so they can tell us what challenges there are in high school and what we can do to fix them.
Soon we are going to Berry for camp. We are going to do lots of fun things and go on exciting adventures.
As it is our last year of primary school we have to live every day to the fullest, and be grateful for everything that will happen whether we like it or not. We have to work hard, cooperate and have fun.
We are so looking forward to the year ahead of us.
Ruby, Jacey, Zali, Xanthe, Jonas and Aston
Update from Year 6 Red
Starting Year 6 Red on January 31…
What has happened?
Leadership, buddies, wonder, human rights.. and so much more! But the real question, what was the best memory you’ve got of the experience? It's only the start of the year so we have many opportunities to change our future experiences, but how will the outcome turn out? In my opinion I think year 5 was the best year, but could year 6 beat it forever..?
All experiences that our classmates could view in Year 6 vary from 1-10 but let's try our best to make it 10/10!
February 14 2023 (Valentine’s day!)
On Valentine's day, the Holy Spirit High School came to visit our school and talked to Stage 3 about the best things you could see at Holy Spirit High School! Not much about actual Valentine’s day.
February 17 2023
Leadership badge! Everyone got their badge for being a member of Good Samaritan. We were absolutely proud I must say.
What Year 6 has experienced recently has made us one. A connection with each other, friendships and light. Having the ability to be in a space where you know you’re safe, loved and are free to make friends with whoever you want can make us feel filled with joy.
Written By Sophia Tang (6RED)
Update from Year 6 Blue
6 BLUE
What Year 6 Has Meant So Far
Year 6 so far has been fantastic! People usually refer to Year 6 as being a big challenge with obstacles to overcome. It definitely can be challenging, though the challenges are fun and the transition to Year 6 has been awesome.
Year 6 so far has meant one big word, “leadership”. We mean this in a good way. We all love being role models that the younger children look up to. In Year 6 you get lots of different opportunities to help you grow your leadership skills for high school.
One of the many exciting things about being in Year 6 is getting a Kinder buddy. Having a Kinder buddy is great fun, but it is also a learning opportunity. They are still learning how to behave and act at “Big School’’. Through the year we are excited about seeing all of the Kindergarten children grow and change into proud Good Samaritan students like us.
Some things that are exclusive to Year 6 include receiving a special sports t-shirt, a leadership badge and attending the Year 6 camp.
2023 is definitely shaping up as one to remember for so many great reasons!
Ruby G. and Ruby R. (6 Blue)
Year 6 Dragons’ Visit
Several staff from the St George-Illawarra Dragons visited Year 6 on Monday, 06 March, to launch their 2023 The Best You Can Be health and well-being resource. The resource was developed with input from the University of Wollongong. The aim of this initiative is to encourage our students to take responsibility for their day-to-day routines, physical and mental fitness, as well as how to treat others respectfully.
One of the visitors was Keeley Davis from the NRLW Dragons. Keeley was the youngest member of the Dragons' Inaugural Women's Premiership Squad in 2018 and her career trajectory since has been remarkable. She was selected in the Prime Minister's XIII team to face Papua New Guinea and impressed so much she was selected for the Jillaroos mere weeks later. Keeley now heads into her fifth season as a fixture in the New South Wales State of Origin team and now works for the Red V in the club's football and community departments.
News from Year 5
Year 5 Blue has had a great start to the year. We have been learning about expectations of Stage 3, how to be good leaders of the school and how to model Respectful, Responsible and Safe behaviours. We have also been learning about Characterisation. We have been learning to determine the difference between a character's feelings and a character's traits. 5 Blue have used this knowledge to begin to create their own character who will star in their own narrative. Watch this space for some amazing narratives!
South Coast Region Swimming Carnival
The South Coast Region Swimming Carnival was held at Corrimal Pool on Tuesday, 7 March 2023. The Good Samaritan team was made up of 29 students from 8 to 12 years. The sun definitely did shine with temperatures reaching the 30s. There was plenty of cheering and good sports shown throughout the day.
Despite the extremely hot weather, the Good Samaritan swimmers kept their cool and did their very best. Good Samaritan has a strong squad that has qualified for the next level of competition, the Diocesan Selection Trial Carnival. It will be held on Monday 13 March, 2023 at Corrimal Pool.
This event would not be so successful without the support of our families. We would also like to acknowledge our volunteers, thank you for your help on the day.
Cross Country - Thursday 16 March
The GSFM cross country carnival will be held next Thursday 16th March. Children will come to school as normal, and will leave school at 8:50 am on buses to our carnival held at Kembla Joggers, in West Dapto. Children will wear their sports uniform with their house colour T shirt. Please ensure your child brings their recess, lunch, plenty of water, hat and sunscreen.
Thank you to the parents who have already indicated they can volunteer on the day. Don’t forget your camp chairs or a picnic blanket. We look forward to having a great day ou
PB4L - Positive Behaviours for Learning
Be Safe, Be Respectful and Be Responsible
We are safe by keeping our hands and feet to ourselves
We are respectful by greeting peers and adults with a smile and hello
We are responsible by showing the 5L’s and being “ready to learn”Book Club
School Photos
Premiers Reading Challenge 2023
Canteen News
Reminder Canteen is only open Wednesday - Friday.
Easter School Holidays Activities
Being Considerate of Confidentiality
At times there may be incidents within the school that involve certain students and you may hear about them through other parents. These may relate to another child’s progress and learning or their behaviour. It is most important that the confidentiality of that student, and of his or her family, is protected. Always treat such incidents with empathy – no one would like their own child to be the topic of discussion amongst parents. If you have some specific concerns that relate to your own child please do not hesitate to address these through the classroom teacher, Stage Middle Leader, Mrs Hailstone or Mrs Sillis.
Diary Dates & Reminders for the week ahead:
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Wednesday 8 March |
4:30-6:30pm:
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Thursday 9 March |
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Friday 10 March |
2:10pm:
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Saturday 11 March |
✝ THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT ✝ YEAR A We who have received the life of God in baptism, are also called to be missionaries by inviting others to come to see Jesus Sunday 8:30am: As a part of the Confirmation preparation, we invite you to join in mass on Sunday 12 March at 8.30am at SJV followed by a morning tea in our school hall.
Our year 6 Confirmation Candidates will be presented to the parish and will have the opportunity to verbalise their Rite of Commitment and receive a special blessing.
We look forward to seeing you at mass on Sunday 12 March at 8.30am. Year 6 students who will not be making their Confirmation are welcome to attend also.
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Sunday 12 March |
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Monday 13 March |
6pm:
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News from P & F Committee
